Recent content by smithsm1984

I can't stand Ford's interiors right now. Oh, sure, they LOOK amazing. And they feel good, too. But that big center console cuts room out of the driver's space and the controls seem confusing just because someone fashionable on the design team decided more buttons = BETTER! And My Ford Touch is...

I'm now at a lifetime total of 32.2 MPG with a best tank of 36.7 MPG. This is better than I had expected, to be honest. I have the 6MT with gasoline engine.

Pure physics? Come on. Surely you don't think all cars have the same gearing, aerodynamics and grip. I'm not saying that the Mazda3 or CX-5 is faster, but acceleration is more complex than "pure physics."

2006 Ford Focus ST. Not the European version, the American version, which was just the regular Focus with a slightly larger (2.3L) engine and some suspension bits from the SVT. I liked the car, it was a lot of fun to drive. But it just wasn't that well built. It had some obvious interior...

What about anti-dust wipes, like swiffers or what have you?

In my opinion the gas engine is pretty awesome with 6MT. I put my foot down and it revs to redline in first real quick, then a hard shift into second gets the tires chirping. The engine makes a kind of unusual but still interesting noise. It is entertaining. It feels good when I go down a...

Minor vibration of side mirrors. Not a big deal - you get use to it. Rolling down just the rear windows all of the way makes a lot of noise. Happens when ONLY the rear windows are rolled all the way down. The little caps in the rear bumper came off in the automatic car wash. With manual...

I got silver because I wanted a stick and my choices were grey, silver or black. Thankfully the silver is a dark, very metallic silver, so I can live with it. If I had any choice I would have gone with blue.

Wow, this dissolved into the typical OMG DIESEEEELLL talk quickly, didn't it? As for a 2.5L, don't bet on it. If we get another engine it will either be diesel or turbo.

Numbers don't mean anything. For example, the Hyundai Elantra is great on paper and depending on the version of Ford Focus or Mazda 3 you compare it to, it can beat those cars in a slalom and skidpad. But no one who cares about driving is going to buy the Elantra because it's a better driver's...

Hey future Portland CX-5 owners. Hope to see you on the roads. Still have yet to see any besides mine.

You just don't see a lot of ads here for Mazda stuff. They usually run something when a new model comes out, and then it all fades away. There aren't that many dealers, and most of them are smaller than dealers from major brands. Mazdas also tend to be perceived as underpowered and...

Compatibility with parts from other Mazdas? Not that likely, I'd say. You'd certainly be pioneering it.

I have yet to see another CX-5 on the road. I've been looking but no dice so far.

Mazda will probably never sell half as many CX-5s in a year as Honda does CRVs. Heck, maybe not even a quarter, ever. You'll at least feel fairly unique in the CUV world, no matter what ;)